Promises
by tlouise
Summary: Bella loses her best friend, but gains a different 'happily ever after'.


**AN: I do not own twilight or any characters relating to it. I wish.**

**This is an ExB story, but mostly about AxB. R&R. **

**Excuse my Australian-isms**.

**Promises**

A promise; A promise is something that's meant to be unconditional, irreversible. She broke a promise; one she had vowed was unbreakable. It's too hard for me to keep it against her, though. She was everything to me.

We were just in nappies when we first met. Both so curious and full of life, so alike, that our mother's knew that we'd be best friends, even then. Renee and Esme always had been the perfect mothers; always right in every way, what would lead us to think that this time there would be a difference?

Kindergarten came and went, and whilst other kids found new friends and boys and girls fought about cooties, she and I remained in our own comfortable bubble. Every day, we would sit, just the two of us and swap lunches. Renee always did like eccentricity. As it turned out, so did Alice.

The next two years passed quickly, and we remained as close as ever, inseparable. Our inside jokes and silly games got the attention of the other little girls, but we knew even then that it would always be just us. It wasn't until the age of twelve that our first argument came about. We were so close; practically everything we did was together, that our taste in the boys was the same.

Mike Newton, a boy with big blue eyes and sandy blonde hair had caught our attention. I look back now, and laugh at how silly we'd been. He was never worth the pain that that argument had once caused. We had both been so infatuated with the gangly twelve-year old. It was ludicrous to think that by fixing our coordinated braids, which our mothers had neatly done by our constant insistence to look the same, we would catch his eye.

Alice's twelve year old frame was tiny, so skinny and small, like a fairy. Her shoulder-length hair was always smooth, her bright eyes always lit up with energy. I, however, was a little bit taller and thicker then her. Long dark brown hair hung down to my waist, the colour matching my eyes, at the time, I also had braces. I never thought he'd notice me; Alice had always been the pretty one.

He never did seem to notice us, but as little girls, we'd wish. Arguing ensued as one day she turned to me and claimed that he had in fact asked her if he could borrow a pencil in class. Jealousy had consumed me. Twelve year old girls can be so petty, especially over boys, that I had turned to her in anger and claimed that she had ugly hair, and that he'd never notice her. She called me brace face. That day was the worst day in our friendship. I told her never to talk to me again, and she told me that I was not good enough to be her friend anymore. I ran home in tears, telling my mother that I never wanted to go back to school again.

The next day at school, no words were necessary as we ran up to each other in the playground, apologizing profusely to one another. We never could stay mad at each other. That was the day the first promise was made.

Her big hazel eyes turned to me, and with the most earnest expression I had ever seen on anyone's face in my twelve years, she vowed, "We will be best friends forever, and I will always be there for you. You're my sister, Bells."

And with absolutely no uncertainty, I believed her. Grades seven to eleven passed, not entirely uneventful. Friends were made, rules were broken, and boys came and went. But in all the years, we always ended up back with each other, comforting a broken heart with ice cream and movies, or just talking about nonsense until we both fell asleep.

My life was perfect, my family was supportive and loving, my school made me happy and I had the best friend in the entire world, which came attached with an extended family. As they say, though, 'Nothing lasts forever'.

It was a cold winter's day, when she had been off school. I always worried on days like this. She was never away, she loved school, not once did she find excuses to stay home. I rushed home in the hopes that my mum would let me go down the street and visit her.

I was delighted when I got home, seeing her perched upon the ratty old couch in the living room. My delight fell short when I saw the tears pooling in her eyes. "Hey," I whispered cautiously, "how… are you?" As soon as I had spoken, she began to sob. I ran forward and hugged her, too shocked to even register the swiftness of my movements.

I rocked her back and forth, shaking myself from fear. Why was she crying? My thoughts were cut short by the next sentence falling from her mouth. "Not good, Bells." She whispered brokenly. She cleared her throat, steeling herself, "I'm dying." My hands fell from her shoulders as I collapsed to my knees in front of her. "What?" I asked quietly, amazed I could even mutter a word.

"I have a brain tumour, the doctors say that I can try the chemotherapy, and the medicines, but it's not likely I'll make it." She sobbed, her cries quieting when I pulled her head into my shoulder. "It'll be okay, it will be okay." I whispered like a prayer, tears rapidly falling from my eyes that I'd squeezed shut. She was a fighter, but it wasn't fair for her to see me break down.

She did try the chemotherapy, she did try the medicines and she did fight for her life. She knew that she hadn't quite finished what she'd started. She wanted marriage; she wanted babies and a career. She wanted her own happy ending. Her boyfriend, and the love of her life, Jasper, was always there helping her with crazy schemes, determined to make her feel more at peace, while keeping her as positive as possible.

It was three months later, when she I was visiting her in her hospital room. The place was too plain, too stark in comparison to who she was. She was looking paler then what I had been seeing recently and the purple bags under her eyes had darkened to a sickening shade of purple.

Somehow, upon seeing her, I knew it in my heart this was the end for her. She was just seventeen, too young to be taken so early. Fate must've been screwing with us. She took my hand in hers, grasping it weakly. I knew it was tough for her to find the strength, but she lifted her head enough to look into my eyes.

"Bella," she choked out, "I want you to find your happiness without me." I tried to deny this was it for her, she was Alice; she was supposed to always be there. "Don't talk like this, please." I begged her. She ignored me, "Promise me, Bella, promise." The tears in my eyes made my lids heavy, but I forced them to look at her face. "I promise."

"I'll be looking over you, forever. I love you, sister." She breathed one final breath as her eyes slid shut.

The funeral came and went, as did the end of high school and the beginning of University. I still see Esme, Carlisle, and Jasper more often then not. They'll always be a part of the family. Alice was the common tie.

It's been four years, now since my best friend, Alice Cullen passed. I'm young but not naïve enough to believe that it was god's will, for her to die. She was too pure, too much of an angel. My best friend was taken from me. I like to think she looks over me, much like she'd said she would, Alice always had said she was psychic.

I made a promise, much like she had. I promised to keep positive, to find a happily ever after. I did. It was eighteen months later; I was running late for my lecture. Running through the quad in a whoosh of brown hair and untidy clothes, I ran head first into what seemed like a wall. It seemed I was always running late or looking messy these days. Alice had always been the one to dress me up or do my hair.

"Oof!" the wall said. It wasn't until then that my brain caught up with me, and I noticed that the wall smelled remarkably like boy. Masculine; his aftershave, Mint; probably toothpaste, and Clean like the smell of rain after sunshine. My cheeks flushed as I noticed the how I was still holding on to him. I took a step back.

"I'm so sor…" my breath cut short as I finally brought my eyes up to the wall's face. His beautiful green eyes pierced into mine, shining with amusement. His full lips turned up into a devastating half-smile.

"…Sorry" I mumbled, incoherently. His smile became more pronounced when he noticed the embarrassment on my face. "It's quite alright" he replied, quietly. His voice was like liquid honey.

I cleared my throat loudly, his gaze making me nervous. "So I'm just going to go…" I said, awkwardly. Of all the people in the world, I had to run into the most handsome man, I'd ever seen? "Wait!" he called, as I began to walk away swiftly. I turned, confused as to what he wanted fro me. He ran up to me, "What's your name?" He asked urgently.

"Bella Swan." I answered, bewildered. This god-like creature wanted my name? "Beautiful" he mumbled lowly to himself. "I'm Edward Masen" he put out his hand for me to shake. I looked at his hand quickly before placing mine in his. His hand was soft and smooth, his hands warm and comfortable. The tips of his fingers brushed against mine, they were slightly calloused, like he played the guitar. "It's nice to meet you, Bella Swan." He said happily. "Likewise," I whispered, once again consumed by his stare.

Edward changed everything; once shy and depressed, I was now playful and beyond happy with him. He made me feel like a princess. It was only three months after meeting him, that I had fallen irrevocably in love him. He didn't know of that fact, yet. He knew of Alice, and knew of the pain it had and always would cause, and he held me as I told him about her for the first time. He was selfless and caring, and simply the most amazing man I'd ever met.

I knew without a doubt that he was the one, and I wanted to give myself to him. He knew that I had never been with anyone like that before, so he never once pushed. But I always wondered if it was because he'd been with anyone before, that he never made a move.

It was Valentine's Day, Friday evening, classes had just finished and I was on my way home. I had moved out of my childhood house, as soon as high school had finished. I loved my family, but it was too hard to be that close to Alice's old house. The Cullen's had already moved on as well. I dug my phone out of my pocket on the walk up to my sixth floor apartment, prepared to tell Edward to come over.

_E_

_Happy Valentine's Day, Baby. Come over tonight?_

_Snuggle on couch? I'll cook ;)_

_B xx_

It was only ten seconds later I got his reply.

_B_

_Happy Valentine's Day, Love._

_Now, how could I resist that?_

_Be there soon. _

_E xx_

I smiled, excited beyond all reason that I would be touching him again soon. I pushed my books into the crease of my arm and dug my keys out of my pocket. I put my key in the door, only to notice it was already unlocked. I was completely positive I had locked it this morning upon leaving.

The smile vanished from my face as I looked around the hallway, scared. I cautiously pushed the door open, and gasped when I saw what was in front of me. The whole apartment had been covered in candles, the vanilla scent hitting me as soon as I stepped through the threshold. There were red and white rose petals covering the floor, spread with purpose. I saw all this, but my eyes could not focus on that for too long, as they were drawn somewhere else. Standing in the middle of my living room was Edward. He was smiling, but looked nervous. That was rare for him. He was dressed in black pants and a button down shirt; he had obviously planned for an important night.

My cheeks hurt from all the smiling I was doing, but I rushed forward and pulled his head down to mine to meet him in a breathtaking kiss. He laughed against my lips, pleased with my reaction. "It's nice to see you too." He whispered cheekily. I laughed again, pulling away to look around the room again. I noticed he had already cooked, and the table had been set romantically for two people.

I ignored the food, dragging him over to the couch and sitting him down, so I could straddle him. I kissed him with passion, meeting his tongue eagerly when his mouth opened up to me. "Bella, wait, wait." He panted out, pushing me away gently. "Why?" I asked, hurt. "I need to tell you something." I started to panic, concerned he was just doing all these wonderful things to soften the blow when he breaks my heart. "Ok..?" I asked, barely concealing the tears that had begun to pool in my eyes. "Bella, I love you." He rushed out.

I sat in shock; I was definitely not expecting to hear that from him tonight. When the silence had hung in the air for quite some time and began to get uncomfortable, he hopelessly started to mutter to himself. "I mean, you're amazing. I knew you wouldn't love me back. What was I thinking? I just wanted to provide for you, and take care of you. I know how much you've been through, but god, I wanted you to have the happily ever after that Alice wanted so much for you…" I shut him up with another kiss. "Edward, god, I love you so much." I happily peppered kisses on his lips, perfectly content.

He pushed me back again, "You do?" he asked, confused. I just nodded, still too focused on his perfect lips. He crushed me to him, laughing in delight. "Edward, show me" I whispered, staring into his bright green eyes. He swallowed thickly, his laughter forgotten. "Bella, I've never done that before…" he replied, embarrassed.

"Neither have I. Edward, you're the one. You are all I'll ever need. Please?" He thought about my answer for a minute before crushing his lips back to me. His kiss was desperate, and I realised that this was his answer. Nervously, I ran my hands down his chest, undoing the buttons down his shirt. I ran my fingers over his hard chest, loving the way he shivered when I moved my head down to kiss the skin behind his ear.

He sighed into my hair. "I love you, Bella." His words were filled with adoration, and awe for me. My heart melted even more for him. "I love you too, more than anything in the world"

I climbed off his lap, his eyes watching my every move like a hawk. Nervously, my hands moved towards the hem of my t-shirt. I looked down, steeling myself. What was I so nervous about? This was Edward, he would never hurt me. With that, I pulled my shirt over my head, dropping it by my feet. I looked up at Edward slowly, worried for his reaction. His mouth was open, his eyes dark but dilated. His breathing had increased to panting and there was a noticeable tent in his pants. I blushed, hoping he liked what he saw.

I heard him mutter under his breath for a minute before he stood. His hands wrapped around me, pulling me towards his body. My bare skin rubbed his chest as he pulled my head up to kiss me again. He moaned as my jean-clad hips brushed his erection. Feeling a little more confident with his reaction, I wedged my hands between us, reaching for the button on his pants.

Undoing it was harder then expected with my shaking hands, but Edward helped me undo them with ease. He stood before me just in his black boxers, while I stood nearly completely dressed. Clearly deciding that he hadn't seen enough, Edward reached for the button of my jeans. He pushed them down quickly and purposely, eager for the stakes to be even.

Once the jeans were in a pool of denim by our feet, he stood back to look at me. I self-consciously hid my chest behind my arms, but he pulled them away. "You are so beautiful, Bella." He sighed. Standing before him in just my matching sapphire blue underwear and bra, I felt empowered. I reached behind me and undid my bra, letting it hang loose of my shoulders for a second, before dropping it to the ground.

Edward's expression froze in place upon seeing my breasts for the first time. His body noticeably shuddered when I took a step towards him. I stared into his eyes as I lightly ran my hands down my torso until they hit the waistband of my underwear. Without breaking eye contact I lowered them down my legs until the fell.

I moved towards him again, this time, my nipples brushed his chest. I shivered at the feeling. His arms came around me then, pulling me until I was crushed against his chest. I laid my head on his chest, listening to his rapid heartbeat. It was in time with mine. "Bella, I want this to be special for you. I love you too much for this to be something that you'd rather forget." He whispered into my hair.

"It will always be special with you." I replied. His arms tightened around me, encouraging me to lift my legs to up around his waist. I complied with his wishes, wrapping my arms around his neck. He placed open mouthed kisses along my neck while he walked us through my apartment, towards the bedroom. When we had reached our destination, he dropped me onto the bed, making me giggle. The giggle was cut short when he crawled towards me until I lay down. His body lay over mine, covering me in goose bumps. He kissed me adoringly, his tongue slowly seeking out mine, entwining them together languidly.

Caught up in his kissing, I shifted my legs to he could lie between them. Bending my legs at the knee, I placed my feet back on the bed. The new position we were in made us line up perfectly, the only thin between us was his boxer shorts. I moaned as we began to grind against each other, his erection causing amazing friction. I was on the edge of orgasm when he stopped. I nearly screamed at him in frustration until he lifted his head from my breasts where he had been licking my nipples.

"Not this way, Love." He whispered, quickly pecking my lips. My feet found the waistband of his boxers and I pushed them down using my toes. He sat back on his knees, pulling them down the rest of the way. I sucked in a harsh breath at seeing him bare for the first time. I had seen photos and diagrams of penises before, but I never thought I would be so turned on at seeing one in real life. I shouldn't have been surprised, this was Edward after all. He was perfect in every way.

"I need you. Please Edward, now." I whispered urgently. I reached out to touch him, but his hand shot out and grabbed mine. "You touch me, and I will not last long." He whispered back, it was only because I knew him so well that I recognised the urgency in his cool tone.

"I wasn't expecting this to happen tonight, Baby. Do you have condoms or something?" He asked disappointedly. His disappointment made my heart ache. I wanted him to always be happy. I reached out to touch his cheek softly, rubbing his day-old scruff. "I'm on the pill...medical reasons" I whispered with a small smile. He sighed happily before reaching forward and kissing me again. I laughed quietly against his lips, pleased that I could make him happy.

"Are you sure you want this?" He asked quietly, stroking the hair off my face. I smiled up at him, "More than anything." I replied in a whisper. He lay back on top of me, barely holding his weight off me. His weight on my bare skin was comforting. His breath rushed out in a harsh breath as he gently pushed himself in to me. I winced briefly as he broke through my barrier, but he stopped himself, his arms nearly buckling with the struggle to hold himself. He whispered that he loved me again, before I told him I was fine.

His movements weren't rushed, just gently rocking as we whispered our affection and breathed each other in. We made love until the early morning, when we collapsed back on the bed. "Love you, Bella" he said, tiredly, before falling asleep. I smiled sleepily, watching him, before resting my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "Thank you, Alice." I whispered, knowing that wherever she was, she was looking after me.

**AN: Thanks for reading! R&R. I'm thinking about continuing this on, so let me know what you think. Sorry if it's a little corny, I love a bit of fluff. :)**


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